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A long diagonal ball sent Enda Stevens surging clear and Ryan Shotton brought him down then after a quickly taken short free-kick the ball was whipped into the box.

It was only half headed clear and fell nicely for Lee Evans on the edge of the box and he rifled in a right-footed volley that sizzled goalwards and dipped over the dive of Darren Randolph.

Boro were shell-shocked for a spell and two more quick raids went down that flank and from one Stevens squared for Lundstram to blaze over.

Boro rallied and started to edge back into the game but a wriggling run through the middle by Traore was crowded out then a Shotton long throw was scrambled away.

Boro’s first chance came on 13 minutes when Mo Besic picked out Patrick Bamford but his low shot through the crowd was smothered by Blades keeper Moore.

Boro had a massive let off as United should have scored a killer second goal on 16 minutes.

A neat touch by Evans played a ball behind Boro’s static back-line for striker Leon Clarke to skip through unmarked into the box and had he fired either side of the keeper he would put a stranglehold on the game but his hurried low shot was weak and straight at relieved Randolph who hoofed it clear.

The game swung decisively against Boro on 25 minutes as skipper Leadbitter was sent off for a second yellow card.

He had picked up the first caution on 19 minutes as he chopped down Brookes with a late lunge near the halfway line and the second and the red followed for another scything challenge on Fleck as he broke into the Boro half.

Middlesbrough's Grant Leadbitter leaves the pitch after he was shown a red card by referee Darren Bond

With Boro in disarray Sheffield almost scored again on 29 minutes as Randolph spilled what looked a routine cross in from Fleck and Ben Gibson stretched to clear but could only poke it to the feet of Brooks but he twisted and turned looking for an angle for the shot and Boro recovered to crowd him out.

With his side being stretched and penetrated Pulis reorganised and Boro went to five at the back with Shotton slotting in as the third centre-back and Stewart Downing moving to right wing back role with George Friend in a similar role on the left.

But it did little to stem the tide and the Blades scored a second goal on 40 minutes.

From a short corner Brooks found Evans lurking on the edge of the box and he hammered a low volley inside the near post for his second goal of the game.

A man down and having been given the runaround things looked bleak for Boro and Pulis had little to lose when he made and very surprising triple change.

Fabio came on for Traore, Adam Clayton for Besic and Assombalonga for Bamford in the unusual all-or-nothing shake-up.

Fabio went to right-wing back and Downing switched back over to the left of the midfield in a 3-5-1.

Despite the unusual shape the lifeline came from a very familiar source: Dani Ayala.

Middlesbrough's Daniel Ayala at the end of the game

Two minutes after the restart Downing floated in a free-kick and when Gibson flicked it on to the far post the Spanish stopper popped up unmarked to stab home a close range low angled effort for his sixth goal of the season.

And incredibly, as they started with a snarl, Boro almost levelled soon after they forced play to the edge of the Blades box only for Jonny Howson to send a shot fizzing a fraction over.

And on the hour after Evans was mugged in midfield a quick raid ended with Assombalonga lashing well wide.

Gradually the home side regained their composure and started to use their extra man to stretch Boro and the 10 men were forced were forced into some frantic defending and fire-fighting.

But Boro were still in it and several times almost broke away to threaten a leveller.

On 80 minutes Shotton went on a mazy run through the middle and with Assombalonga just set to dart forward, the final pass that would have sent him clear was poor and went straight to the last defender.

Then two minutes later a quick attack sent Howson racing down the inside right channel but his shot flew inches over.

And there was a frantic finale with Boro throwing bodies and the ball forward but to no avail.